Knights in Shining Karma
"Knights in Shining Karma" is a song by Andy Partridge. It appeared on the 1999 album Apple Venus Volume 1. The demo appeared on Apple Venus Volume 1's companion demo album, Homespun. An instrumental version appeared on the Apple Venus Volume 1 instrumental album, Instruvenus. Quotes Andy (on the demo): “If the demo of this sounds close to the finished recordings the reason is simple. I'm not great at finger picking style guitar, so once I'd got the speed, feel and a relatively mistake free performance from each of the two electric guitars that constitute the backbone of this song, why should I play it again? For the master recording we lifted off these two guitars, which I was very happy with, and merely re-recorded the vocal. (Thinking about it, we also kept the bendy acoustic guitar theme and finger cymbals as well?) “That's the thing with home recording. If you capture a good performance in the stress free environment of your bedroom or shed or wherever, there should be very little preventing you from dubbing it to your ‘great’ quality master tape. Providing, of course, it's not going to be a nightmare for other musicians to play along with. “During 93/94 I was going through a bad patch in my life and ‘Knights’ came along as a real comfort, a song to salve my worried mind. It was me crying tea tears at the sink, it was me laid awake fretting all night, hands breaking out in sores and blisters. I needed hugging and guarding in a moment of pain, so I tried to do it to myself in song. “It will probably come as no surprise when I tell you that the music came from me ‘dicking about’ with the Beatles ‘Blackbird’, not ‘Julia’ as some smart-arsed critics have suggested. The ‘Jealous Winter Sun’ sections, with their descending finger picked chord shifts, to me, betray their origin more than any other parts of the song. But I should add that I have never knowingly stolen any music from anyone (unlike those shameless Dukes!), it's simply a case of playing your faves, making mistakes and being open enough to grab the cock up and use it. The same way ‘wrong’ Hendrix inspired ‘All You Pretty Girls’ or messing about with The Beach Boys ‘I Get Around’ gave birth to ‘Books Are Burning’.” Lyrics Knights in shining karma Tend your flame And with love for armor They'll remain Ever by your bed Guarding, still sleeping Shield your soul from this rain Knights in shining karma will remain Jealous winter sun... Cold as vichysoisse Steals your smile for fuel They'll ignite with braziers Of warming stars Knights in shining karma Wash your feet And with spotlesss darma come complete Ever by your sink drying Up tea tears Shield your soul from this heat Knights in shining karma come complete Swollen summer moon Hot as boiling air Poach your dreams to ash They'll bring sips from restful slumbers Cooling keg Jealous winter sun... Category:Discography Category:Songs by Andy Partridge